"Shit... it is cracked.." Kage Ou muttered, his hand going toward his sweaty forehead. This shouldn't have happened. Maybe it happened when we fell into the water. This is too serious.. I have to do something quickly.
His mind raced, trying not to overwhelm himself with worry. His eyes unconsciously shut bitterly when another rock from somewhere fell from the mountain into the lake—caused by the chaos this statue kept creating.
He was done with this. Officially.
He had ideas, possibilities, but he wasn't sure if Lìngxi would be fine—and then he himself would be left half of a whole. The thought made his chest tighten.
But time was short. The damage was immense. And his care for Lìngxi was even greater than any of it. So he reached out slowly, just once, toward Lìngxi's cracked gem—as if offering comfort to it. His touch was gentle as ever.
All for you.
With that thought, his eyes slowly closed with quiet focus, ignoring the sounds outside for now. The thuds, the destruction—they continued, but he didn't move. Not even when a piece of rock fell into the cave where he was hiding with Lìngxi. No movement, unless the danger came too close. Right now, this danger was closer to home. His powers were sealed. His soul was fraying.
Should the eye—the seat of my spiritual sight—bridge the gap and save you...
By the firm focus, a black-gold hue mixed with Lìngxi's royal blue, pulsing at the space between his thumb and the faintly glowing gem on his forehead.
'That is it. You are trying too..'
He couldn't help but internally praise Lìngxi, still feeling him fighting inside to live. Kage Ou felt himself almost tilt to the left from the headache, but he held himself steady in time by gripping a corner of the rock where Lìngxi lay.
The sharp edges made his palm bleed. Already struggling without his blood, it kept him seeing glassy every few minutes. He shook his head.
"Damnit. I hate headaches.." He muttered softly, trying not to break his focus from the ritual.
Once the black-gold and royal blue hues pulsed and circled around his fingertips, he finally pulled his hand back.
He looked at Lìngxi's peaceful unconscious form, then at the pulsing energy in his hand.
'I don't care if you yell at me about it, Lìng Lìng.'
He shut his eyes. His finger hovered close to his right eye. The energy felt like it was burning him alive—like a candle. The skin of his lids grew unbearably hot. His jaw locked against the pain. But he didn't stop. Not until the eye was in his hand, floating and burning with the flame.
"It's.. done.." He panted faintly, his hand aching to touch the wound—but he didn't. It would only make it worse.
Without wasting any time, he brought the eye closer to Lìngxi's cracked gem. The gem immediately sensed it and began to absorb it. The light disappeared into the stone. The gem started to pulse with proper life, turning vibrant royal blue. The pale skin regained its lost color, the lifelessness fading from his face.
Kage Ou almost forgot the pain at the sight. He just watched Lìngxi with deep tenderness and care in his remaining eye.
Lìngxi didn't wake. But his white lashes gently trembled, his face rolling to the other side unconsciously.
He's alive..
While he basked in this moment of relief—it didn't last long.
The sounds of falling rocks grew heavier, angrier. Kage Ou clicked his tongue. He didn't even have time to look at Lìngxi's beautiful face, now full of life.
"Sleep now, Lìng Lìng... I have to go. For now."
He mumbled to the sleeping Lìngxi, almost pouting to himself. He carefully hid his empty eye socket after wiping away some blood, then walked toward the mouth of the cave.
But he stopped suddenly.
"I forgot something important."
He went back to Lìngxi, gently turned his face so he could breathe more openly—and then slowly, hesitantly, he leaned down.
"This one is also necessary. Understand me a little."
With that, he pressed his lips against Lìngxi's—not just to save him, but to feel him alive, real, and to taste the peace of having him close after years of silent longing.
He didn't take too much time. He pulled away, back to determined, and walked toward the cave mouth while rubbing the injury on his head, circling his owl sword carelessly in his other hand.
"Let's see what this pretty statue wants to say."
He stepped out of the cave and covered it with a censer shield—sealing Lìngxi inside, safe from the chaos outside.